Acquisition and synchronization of digital media to a personal information space
View Patent ↗A method for transferring media data to a network coupled apparatus is described. The method includes maintaining a personal information space identified with a user and having media data. The personal information space is coupled to the network. Upon a user request, the method transfers at least a portion of the media data from the personal information space to the network coupled apparatus in a differencing transaction.
1. A method of transferring media data to a network coupled apparatus, comprising:
(a) maintaining a personal information space identified with a user including media data comprising a directory of digital media files, the personal information space being coupled to a server and a network;
(b) generating a first version of the media data in the personal information space;
(c) generating a digital media file, in response to an input from the user, comprising a second version of the media data in a same format as the first version in the personal information space, the second version including an update not included in the first version;
(d) obtaining difference information comprising differences between the first version of the media data and the second version of the media data; and
(e) transferring a digital media file over the network containing the difference information from the personal information space to the network coupled apparatus in response to a sync request made from a web browser at the network-coupled apparatus by the user.
2. The method of claim 1 further including the step, prior to step (a), of receiving information into the personal information space.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving data from a first network coupled apparatus, and said step (e) includes transferring said media data to a second network coupled apparatus.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network coupled apparatus is an automotive computer.
5. The method of claim 4 further including the step, following step (a), of identifying the personal information space associated with the user by prompting a user login from said automotive computer and retrieving login information input by the user.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the media data comprises a directory of digital media files.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step (a) comprises providing a storage server having a network connection, and code on the storage server interacting with the personal information space.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further includes:
(f) providing code on a network-coupled apparatus which receives said difference information and stores the difference information on the network-coupled apparatus.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of transferring comprises instantiating code on a network-coupled server storing said personal information space to output the difference information to the network-coupled apparatus.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of transferring comprises instantiating code on the network-coupled apparatus to retrieve the difference information.
11. A system for transferring digital media between a plurality of network coupled devices, comprising:
a personal information store identified with a user containing digital media comprising a directory of digital media files readable by an application program; and a processing device, a server and a network coupled with the personal information store, the processing device including:
an application data store holding a version of the digital media in the personal information store, and a device engine to: a) generate a digital media file, in response to an input from the user, comprising a second version of the media data in a same format as the first version in the personal information store, the second version including an update not included in the first version; (b) obtain difference information comprising differences between the first version of the media data and the second version of the media data; and (c) transfer a digital media file over the network containing the difference information from the personal information space to the network coupled apparatus in response to a sync request made from a web browser at the network-coupled apparatus by the user.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the personal information store is provided on a server.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein the server is coupled to the Internet.
14. The system of claim 11 wherein the device engine is provided on a server which includes at least a portion of the personal information store.